“I, the LORD, your God, teach you what is for your good, and lead you on the way you should go” Isaiah 48:17

In today’s first reading from the Prophet Isaiah, he says, “I, the LORD, your God, teach you what is for your good, and lead you on the way you should go.” In speaking about today’s gospel passage, Pope Francis echoes the lesson from Isaiah, noting that the leaders of Israel were not open to God’s word as being presented by Jesus, the son of God. Jesus pointed out to them that neither were they open to John the Baptist, another messenger sent by God. He goes on to say: “Just think of the people of that time who preferred to escape into a more elaborate religion: a moral precepts like the Pharisees, in political compromise like the Sadducees, in social revolution like the zealots, and in gnostic spirituality like the Essenes. This is why Jesus refreshes their memory by recalling the prophets who were persecuted and killed. There are Christians today who do not allow themselves to dance when the preacher gives them good news of joy, who don’t allow themselves to cry when the preacher gives them sad news, Christians who are closed, caged, who are not free for fear of the freedom of the Holy Spirit that comes through preaching. These sad Christians do not believe in the Holy Spirit; they do not believe in that freedom that comes through preaching, that admonishes you, that teaches you, that even smacks you around a bit, but it is the freedom that makes the church grow.” The message today from Pope Francis can hit many of us too close to home. Our reaction is sometimes to discredit the message by discrediting the messenger. But God’s Spirit is relentless and will always break through our defenses. And when it does, we will discover the new life that God always wants to bring to us.

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